Stripped City Adra: A Beauty's Late-Night Visit

Back in the room, Michael raised a hand. A humanoid framework took shape in the air before them, then more layers covered it. Before long, it formed into the figure of a maid with lowered eyes.

Though she looked no different from an ordinary person—indeed, as exquisite as a doll—Gray instinctively sensed no trace of life from her. She did not even seem to breathe, as though she were part of the air itself.

"This is a maid created through magecraft. As long as it is supplied with sufficient magical energy, it can be maintained indefinitely."

Seeming to notice Gray's question, Michael explained. He sat down on the soft sofa, leaned back against it, and gave a long, lazy stretch.

"Aika developed this magecraft. Overall, it's quite convenient. Its housekeeping and cooking aren't exactly outstanding, but it's good enough in a pinch—especially under these circumstances."

He casually snapped his fingers, and the magecraft maid received the command. She took a teapot from the Imaginary Pocket and began preparing black tea.

Gray glanced around the room. The room they occupied was probably the largest and most luxurious in all of Stripped City. Ornate decorations filled every corner, but the most eye-catching feature was the enormous bookshelf against the wall, packed with magecraft tomes.

Though these magecraft tomes were not part of the Abhscion Family's inheritance, they were still priceless. In the past, every magecraft tome had required special materials to copy, and some had even been the sole surviving editions.

Thus, when the Library of Alexandria had been burned down, some out-of-print magecraft tomes had vanished directly into the river of time, leaving countless magi beating their chests in regret.

But those were not problems. The greatest problem was—there was only one bed in this room.

Hishiri Adashino set down her